Seven months on some Nelson residents still struggling with storm repairs

Seven months on from the storm that ravaged Nelson and some residents are still struggling to get their homes and properties repaired.

There are 30 properties that remain uninhabitable and a further 58 where access is restricted.

Yoann Martichon's home is red-stickered and said navigating the insurance process has been incredibly stressful.

"When we first talked to the insurance, they told us you're going to be back here in 6-8 months.

"We are seven months now. We are far away from being back here. So we are expecting to be able to come back here by the end of the year. Maybe".

Many residents 1News spoke to raised similar issues with the process, including poor communication and long delays.

Insurance Council chief executive Tim Grafton said property issues involving landslides are typically where timelines blow out.

"It is actually a land problem that is complicated and needs fixing. And insurers can't speed that up.

"We need geotechs to have a look at the land. We need to get access to properties to start doing the job, and for many months in Nelson, we couldn't."

An agreement in 2021 means insurance companies deal with claims on behalf of the Earthquake Commission. But some residents say it isn't working.

Martichon said going through the insurance company wasn't making the process easier, which is what the scheme was designed to do.

"So they are our first point of contact, but they don't really want to deal with you."

However, Grafton said the agreement is working. "On the ground, our feedback is that it's working well. The vast majority of claims in Nelson have been settled."

It's not just homes that are impacted. The Hope family has spent the last seven months unable to drive up their long steep driveway after a slip undercut it.

Ken Hope said 'stressful' doesn't begin to cover it.

"For seven months, it's been an absolute nightmare and that says nothing to cover the true depth of feelings."

The family uses a wheelbarrow multiple times a day to cart items between their cars and home.

Rebecca Hope said the stress of navigating the insurance process compounded an already difficult time.

"Little did I know when the slip happened, I would end up with a stage four cancer diagnosis four weeks later. So that's been massive."

The Hopes' situation is complicated, and it's been difficult to figure out what they're covered for.

"So they've covered us, or they're settling with us for the little bit of land, under the little bit of driveway that has slipped," Rebecca said.

"The massive slip that's underneath it and the bank that went out from under the driveway, none of that's covered."

The Hopes have received around $4500 as a settlement but estimate it could cost up to $80,000 to fix their driveway.

Their insurance company IAG said, "EQCover covers the land under or supporting a main accessway up to 60 metres from the home."

But in the Hopes' case, that doesn't mean the bank supporting the driveway is covered.

IAG went on to say, "only the insured land within the boundaries of the easement and the property is eligible for EQCover. This includes the land supporting the access road but only within the boundaries of the easement for Mr and Mrs Hope’s driveway."

The Hopes have asked EQC to come and visit their home and see the impact on their lives, something EQC has told 1News they are happy to meet with the Hopes.

The Hope family still doesn't know when the repairs will happen and is fundraising for the ongoing costs of Rebecca's cancer treatments and the driveway.